Y-type quadrotor radar cross-section analysis

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of his paper is to study the radar stealth performance of a Y-type quadrotor with coaxial rotors and parallel rotors.

Design/methodology/approach

This Y-type quadrotor is designed as an aerodynamic layout with parallel twin rotors at the front and coaxial twin rotors at the rear. The multi-rotor scattering (MRS) method based on multi-rotor dynamic simulation (MRDS) and electromagnetic scattering module (ESM) is presented. MRDS is used to simulate the complex rotation of parallel rotors and coaxial rotors. ESM is used to calculate the instantaneous radar cross-section (RCS) of the quadrotor.

Findings

For a single rotor, the minimum period of the RCS curve at a given azimuth is equal to the basic passage time of the blade, where increasing the speed can shorten this minimum period. When the elevation angle increases, the forward RCS fluctuation of the quadrotor increases, while the average RCS decreases. The change of the roll angle will affect both the mean and the maximum difference of the RCS–time curve at the given lateral azimuth. The increase of the pitch angle will enhance the dynamic amplitude of the RCS–time curve under the forward azimuth.

Practical implications

The research in this article can provide reference for the stealth design of the Y-type quadcopter in the future.

Originality/value

The originality is the establishment of the MRS method. This method could provide value for dealing with the electromagnetic scattering problem of coaxial rotors and parallel rotors.

Citation

Zhou, Z. and Huang, J. (2023), "Y-type quadrotor radar cross-section analysis", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 95 No. 4, pp. 535-545. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-10-2021-0317